Method and apparatus for detecting ocular disease and abnormalities
First Claim
1. Apparatus for detecting ocular disease and abnormalities, comprising:
- a headrest for supporting a patient'"'"'s head and aligning the patient'"'"'s eyes on a selected optical axis;
a photo-imaging device having a lens aligned on said selected optical axis, said lens being spaced from said headrest a predetermined focal distance and operable to receive a retinal reflection from the patient'"'"'s eyes;
a flash unit for generating a flash beam of light generally along said selected optical axis and producing retinal reflections from the patient'"'"'s eyes;
a beamsplitter positioned on said selected optical axis, said beamsplitter being operable to pass the flash beam of light from the flash unit to the patient'"'"'s eyes, and to pass the retinal reflections from the patient'"'"'s eyes to the lens of said photo-imaging device; and
a visual stimulus generator operable to project a visual image on a surface of said beamsplitter, said projected visual image appearing to the patient'"'"'s eyes as being aligned on said selected optical axis and generally superimposed on the lens of said photo-imaging device at said predetermined focal distance whereby the patient'"'"'s eyes generally focus on the lens of said photo-imaging device while viewing the projected visual image to permit accurate retinal reflections from the patient'"'"'s eyes to be recorded by said photo-imaging device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A detection device for detecting ocular disease and abnormalities in humanyes. The ocular disease and abnormality detection device includes a photo-imaging device having a lens aligned on a selected optical axis. A flash unit generates a flash beam of light generally along the optical axis to produce retinal reflections from a patient'"'"'s eyes. The retinal reflections from the patient'"'"'s eyes are recorded by the photo-imaging device and displayed on a video display screen. A beamsplitter is positioned on the optical axis to pass the flash beam of light from the flash device to the patient'"'"'s eyes, and to pass the retinal reflection from the patient'"'"'s eyes to the photo-imaging device. A visual image is projected on a surface of the beamsplitter which appears to the patient'"'"'s eyes as being positioned on the optical axis and generally superimposed on the lens of the photo-imaging device. The patient'"'"'s eyes generally focus on the lens of the photo-imaging device as the patient views the projected image. A separate camera and video display is provided to monitor the patient'"'"'s face. Patient information is preferably recorded with the retinal reflections from the patient'"'"'s eyes. Methods of detecting ocular disease and abnormalities are also disclosed.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. Apparatus for detecting ocular disease and abnormalities, comprising:
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a headrest for supporting a patient'"'"'s head and aligning the patient'"'"'s eyes on a selected optical axis; a photo-imaging device having a lens aligned on said selected optical axis, said lens being spaced from said headrest a predetermined focal distance and operable to receive a retinal reflection from the patient'"'"'s eyes; a flash unit for generating a flash beam of light generally along said selected optical axis and producing retinal reflections from the patient'"'"'s eyes; a beamsplitter positioned on said selected optical axis, said beamsplitter being operable to pass the flash beam of light from the flash unit to the patient'"'"'s eyes, and to pass the retinal reflections from the patient'"'"'s eyes to the lens of said photo-imaging device; and a visual stimulus generator operable to project a visual image on a surface of said beamsplitter, said projected visual image appearing to the patient'"'"'s eyes as being aligned on said selected optical axis and generally superimposed on the lens of said photo-imaging device at said predetermined focal distance whereby the patient'"'"'s eyes generally focus on the lens of said photo-imaging device while viewing the projected visual image to permit accurate retinal reflections from the patient'"'"'s eyes to be recorded by said photo-imaging device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. Apparatus for detecting ocular disease and abnormalities, comprising:
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a headrest for supporting a patient'"'"'s head and aligning the patient'"'"'s eyes on a selected optical axis; a photo-imaging device having a lens aligned on said selected optical axis, said lens being spaced from said headrest a predetermined focal distance and facing toward said headrest for receiving a retinal reflection from the patient'"'"'s eyes; a flash device positioned off the optical axis for generating a flash beam of light in a direction generally perpendicular to the optical axis; a prism associated with said flash device for aligning the flash beam of light generally along said selected optical axis whereby the flash beam of light produces retinal reflections from the patient'"'"'s eyes; a beamsplitter positioned on said selected optical axis intermediate said photo-imaging device and said headrest, said beamsplitter being operable to pass the flash beam of light from the flash device to the patient'"'"'s eyes, and to pass the retinal reflections from the patient'"'"'s eyes to the lens of said photo-imaging device; and a visual stimulus generator positioned off said selected optical axis and operable to project a visual image on a surface of said beamsplitter, said projected visual image appearing to the patient'"'"'s eyes as being aligned on said selected optical axis and generally superimposed on the lens of said photo-imaging device at said predetermined focal distance whereby the patient'"'"'s eyes generally focus on the lens of said photo-imaging device while viewing the projected visual image to permit accurate retinal reflections from the patient'"'"'s eyes to be recorded by said photo-imaging device. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. Apparatus for detecting ocular disease and abnormalities, comprising:
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a headrest for supporting a patient'"'"'s head and aligning the patient'"'"'s eyes on a selected optical axis; a digital camera having a lens aligned on said selected optical axis, said lens being spaced from said headrest a predetermined focal distance and operable to receive a retinal reflection from the patient'"'"'s eyes; a flash unit for generating a flash beam of light generally along said selected optical axis and producing retinal reflections from the patient'"'"'s eyes which are electronically recorded by the digital camera; an illumination source for illuminating the face of the patient while the patient'"'"'s head is positioned in the headrest; a video camera operable to view the patient'"'"'s face; a video display screen coupled to the video camera for displaying a real-time image of the patient'"'"'s face; a beamsplitter positioned on said selected optical axis, said beamsplitter being operable to pass the flash beam of light from the flash unit to the patient'"'"'s eyes, and to pass the retinal reflections from the patient'"'"'s eyes to the lens of said digital camera; and a visual stimulus generator operable to project a visual image on a surface of said beamsplitter, said projected visual image appearing to the patient'"'"'s eyes as being aligned on said selected optical axis and generally superimposed on the lens of said digital camera at said predetermined focal distance whereby the patient'"'"'s eyes generally focus on the lens of said digital camera while viewing the projected visual image to permit accurate retinal reflections from the patient'"'"'s eyes to be recorded by said digital camera. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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21. A method of detecting ocular disease and abnormalities, comprising:
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aligning eyes of a patient on a selected optical axis; aligning a lens of a photo-imaging device on said selected optical axis; spacing the lens of the photo-imaging device from the patient'"'"'s eyes a predetermined focal distance; directing a flash beam of light generally along said selected optical axis to produce retinal reflections from the patient'"'"'s eyes; providing a beamsplitter on said selected optical axis, the beamsplitter being operable to pass the flash beam of light to the patient'"'"'s eyes, and to pass the retinal reflections from the patient'"'"'s eyes to the lens of the photo-imaging device; projecting a visual image on the beamsplitter whereby the projected visual image appears to the patient'"'"'s eyes as being aligned on said selected optical axis and generally superimposed on the lens of the photo-imaging device at said predetermined focal distance, and whereby the patient'"'"'s eyes generally focus on the lens of the photo-imaging device while viewing the projected visual image; and recording retinal reflections from the patient'"'"'s eyes with the photo-imaging device. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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25. A method of detecting ocular disease and abnormalities, comprising:
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aligning eyes of a patient on a selected optical axis; aligning a lens of a digital camera on said selected optical axis; spacing the lens of the digital camera from the patient'"'"'s eyes a predetermined focal distance; directing a flash beam of light generally along said selected optical axis to produce retinal reflections from the patient'"'"'s eyes; providing a beamsplitter on said selected optical axis, the beamsplitter being operable to pass the flash beam of light to the patient'"'"'s eyes, and to pass the reflections from the patient'"'"'s eyes to the lens of the digital camera; projecting a visual image on the beamsplitter whereby the projected visual image appears to the patient'"'"'s eyes as being aligned on said selected optical axis and generally superimposed on the lens of the digital camera at said predetermined focal distance, and whereby the patient'"'"'s eyes generally focus on the lens of the digital camera while viewing the projected visual image; and electronically recording retinal reflections from the patient'"'"'s eyes with the digital camera.
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26. Apparatus for detecting ocular disease and abnormalities, comprising:
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a headrest for supporting a patient'"'"'s head and aligning the patient'"'"'s eyes on a selected optical axis; a photo-imaging device having a lens aligned on said selected optical axis, said lens being spaced from said headrest a predetermined focal distance and operable to receive a retinal reflection from the patient'"'"'s eyes; a flash unit for generating a flash beam of light generally along said selected optical axis and producing retinal reflections from the patient'"'"'s eyes; a beamsplitter positioned on said selected optical axis, said beamsplitter being operable to pass the retinal reflections from the patient'"'"'s eyes to the lens of said photo-imaging device; and a visual stimulus generator operable to project a visual image on a surface of said beamsplitter, said projected visual image appearing to the patient'"'"'s eyes as being aligned on said selected optical axis and generally superimposed on the lens of said photo-imaging device at said predetermined focal distance whereby the patient'"'"'s eyes generally focus on the lens of said photo-imaging device while viewing the projected visual image to permit accurate retinal reflections from the patient'"'"'s eyes to be recorded by said photo-imaging device.
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Specification